Panty hose measuring means

ABSTRACT

Panty hose measuring means having a pair of leg forms marked with length scales for measuring and inspecting the various parts of the garment, pressure responsive sensing means actuated by the garment being tested for uniformly fixing the proper position of the garments on the leg forms for measuring, and stride or crotch measuring means for determining the crotch position of the garment.

United States Patent Foreman 5] Aug. 7, 1973 [54] PANTY HOSE MEASURING MEANS 3,503,257 3/1970 McElhaney 73/159 [75] Inventor: Caley A. Foreman, Grenada, Miss. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assignee; U s. Industries Inc. New York 843,174 8/1960 England 73/159 Primary ExaminerLouis R. Prince [22] plied 1971 Assistant Examiner-Dennis A. Dearing [21] Appl. No.: 131,101 Attorney-Darby 8L Darby 52 us. C1 33/2 A 57 ABSTRACT [51 Int. Cl A4lh 1/00 Pamy hose measuring means having a pair of leg forms [58] Field of Search 33/2 A; 73/159;

223/72 74 75 77 marked with length scales for measuring and inspecting the various parts of the garment, pressure responsive sensing means actuated by the garment being tested for [56] References cued uniformly fixing the proper position of the garments on UNITED STATES PATENTS the leg forms for measuring, and stride or crotch mea- 3,639,987 2/1972 Page 33/2 A suring means for determining the crotch position of the 3,020,755 2/1962 Murdock 73/159 garmem 2,175,661 10/1939 Gordon 223/77 2,651,210 7/1951 Kohlsdorf 223/77 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures .nllllll.

PANTY IIOSE MEASURING MEANS This invention relates to a means for testing hosiery and more specifically to a type of device for measuring and inspecting stockings and panty hose garments under preselected standard conditions.

Stockings are too common to require description. The panty hose garment is also 74 familiar. It consists of two tubular stockings which are joined together at their welts to form a panty. The crotch portion of the panty may consist of a single U-shaped seam, or alternatively a crotch insert may be sewn in between the two legs of the garment at the lower extremity of the crotch,

or the crotch insert might extend from the front to the back of the garment as a fully shaped panel.

In any event it is essential that the garment, be it a stocking or panty hose, properly fit the customer. A proper fit demands that the foot portion be the proper length and that the toe and heel be of sufficient size to fit snugly but without undue stress around the wearers foot. The flare of the garment from the heel through the ankle to the calf must also be properly proportioned in order to prevent undue ,stress on the one hand, or sagging on the other. Similarly the knee and thigh portion (which may also be graduated) must likewise flt snugly enough for comfort and appearance, yet not too tight as to cause discomfort or undue tension in the fabric. And finally the panty portion, including the crotch, must similarly fit snugly yet not too tightly about the hips and waist of the wearer. v

Recognizing that there is no standard model on which all sizing operations can be based, the industry has adopted a series of relatively ill-defined size ranges which hopefully are acceptable for the majority of the potential wearers of the garment. These size ranges of course take into account the stretchability of the fabric (yarn and loop shape) and the completed garment, and thus cover groups of slightly different sized persons. The ranges are usually determined by statistical sampling of the market. A compromise is then worked out between a limited number of size ranges to fit most of the potential wearers, understanding that the number of size ranges should not proliferate to the point that the increased cost of production prices the garment out of the market in question.

Various prior art sizing forms have been used to carry out these fitting operations. While these forms were reasonably adequate for ordinary stockings, they have proved inadequate for panty hose measuring. The invention herein disclosed is adopted to remedy this problem in the manner hereinbelow described. Furthermore this invention provides a better stocking testing device.

Referring now to the invention herein disclosed, it comprises a pair of leg forms rotatably mounted on a base assembly which is fixed to a measuring bench. Each leg form has a pressure actuated sensing means for indicating when the garment is properly pulled down over the leg forms for measurement. This sensing means depends on the elasticity of the fabric in the garment to push the sensing means inwardly into the leg form as the garment is pulled over the form. The extent of retraction of the sensing means thus depends on the extent to which the garment is pulled downwardly over the form. Thus uniformity can be achieved in repetitive tests provided the garments are pulled downwardly to the same extent as indicated by the retraction of the sensing means.

Also provided as a part of, this invention is a crotch or stride measuring means. This device comprises a moveable indicator which is brought into contact with the crotch portion of the garment being measured. It thereby indicates a length measurement relative to a scale mounted on the crotch measuring mechanism, and thereby measures the depth of the crotch in the panty. This measurement bears on the volume of the leg portion of the garment.

Furthermore the leg forms themselves are new in that they are symmetrically shaped, and also threedimensional due to their unique construction. These leg forms are preferable to the conventional form in that theybetter simulate the shape of a wearers leg and present the garment in its optimum condition for measuring and inspection. In addition there are provided outsize forms (boosters) to permit measurement and inspection of oversized or outsized garments. These outsize boosters are detachably mounted on the leg forms to present a truer threc-dimensional form for the garments being tested.

Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a means for accurately'measuring and inspecting hosiery, and more specifically for measuring the location of the various parts of a hosiery garment relative to each other, and for inspecting the garment and the fabric of which it is made, as well as the seams and other constructional features of the garment, such measurement and inspection being made under conditions simulating actual wear conditions.

.IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a panty hose sizing device made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a right-hand side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the feeler pulley assembly taken along section lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the key hope attaching arrangement for the outsize boosters taken along section lines 4--4 of FIG. 1.

Considering first the general structure and operation of the sizing device illustrated in the drawings, the panty hose garment being measured and inspected is generally designated 10, having a crotch designated 100, a heel designated 10b, a toe designated 10c, and

run guard 10d. As can be seen, it is fitted snugly over' Thus, it can be een that the panty hose garment l0 on leg forms 11 and 12 can be rotated unitarily about base assembly 13 in order to permit convenient measurement and inspection by the person conducting the tests.

Referring next to the crotch or stride measuring assembly 20, it will be seen that there is movably positioned within post 15 a slide 21 that can be manipulated up and down on a fixed axis within hollow post 15 and plate 14. The upper end of the slide 21 is rounded to form a ball-shaped slide indicator 22. The lower end of slide 21 is provided with a handle 23 which registers against a length scale 24 marked on the outer surface of post 15.

Thus, the operator conducting the tests can manipulate slide 21 upwardly until indicator 22 contacts the panty crotch 10a (shown in dash line) and thereupon read the position of the crotch by visibly registering handle 23 against length scale 24.

Referring now to leg form 11, there is mounted thereon a feeler/pulley assembly 30 (Refer to FIGS. 1 and 3). This assembly comprises a slotted track 31 fixed to leg form 11 by suitable attaching means such as mounting screws 32. Slide bar 33 is slidably housed within track 31. Attached to the left end of slide bar 33 (FIG. 3) is a rounded feeler 34. At the opposite end of bar 33 is pin 35.

Cord 36 is attached to pin 35 and thence tracked laterally and downwardly around pulley 37 which is rotatably mounted on leg form 11 by a conventional screw washer assembly 38. Cord 36 then passes through guide tube 40 which is held at its upper end to leg form 1 l by bracket 41. The lower end of guide tube 40 is housed in plate 14, thus providing a fixed guide path for unrestricted travel of cord 36 within tube 40. Weight 42 is attached to the lower end of cord 36 by means ofa conventional hook and eye arrangement 43.

Thus the feeler/pulley assembly 30 includes the feeler 34 shown in its depressed position in FIG. 3 (the dash lines indicating the extended position). Feeler 34 is depressed in this manner by the pressure of panty hose l fitting snugly around leg form 11. Weight 42 exerts constant force to urge feeler 34 to its extended position. Thus there is an equilibrium point between the pressure of the snugly fitting fabric pushing against feeler 34 and the counter force of weight 42. When these two forces are in equilibrium with feeler 34 fully depressed, this indicates that panty hose have been drawn downwardly around leg form 11 to the standard position for measurement. If feeler 34 is partially extended, this indicates that the panty hose garment should be drawn further downwardly around the leg form. On the other hand once feeler 34 is fully depressed, the panty hose 10 should not be pulled further downwardly.

Referring now to leg forms 11 and 12 themselves, it will be seen (Referring to FIG. 2) that both leg forms present a symmetrical shape in side elevation from the top to .the bottom of the form. Referring to the letter designation of FIG. 2 the following points correspond to the listed portions of the panty hose garment:

l. A" to 8" foot portion.

2. B to C" ankle flare to calf.

3. C to D calf to knee.

4. D" to E" knee to thigh.

5. E" to "F" thigh to welt.

6. F" to G welt (panty portion).

Still referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that there is provided on each leg form a length scale 50, and near the bottoms of the forms spiral wound retaining cords 51 wound about holes 52 and tied off in the leg forms. This cord may be a conventional O-ring material such as BunaN" rubber. The purpose of cords 51 is to hold the garment in place once it has been pulled downwardly about the leg forms to the proper position indicated by the feeler pulley assembly 30 described above.

Also provided on each leg forms 11 and 12 are inwardly extending boards 11a and 12a respectively which are fixedly mounted thereto so as to present a three-dimensional shape for the leg form. Opposite these permanently affixed boards 11a and 12a are detachable outside boosters 11b and 12b. Scale 55 is marked adjacent the lower part of outside booster 12b.

Outsize boosters 11b and 12b are detachably mounted on leg forms 11 and 12 respectively by'upper and lower key slot means and 61 respectively. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown an enlarged view of one such key slot means, illustrating that it includes a key-shaped slot 52 into which key 53 locks. Key 53 is the mounting means for the outside booster (11b and 12b.)

Thus, there is provided on the basic leg form 11 and 12 corresponding inwardly extending boards 11a and 12a which are firmly affixed to and a part of leg forms 11 and 12. In addition outside boosters 11b and 12b may be detachably mounted on leg forms 11 and 12 as needed to provide for measuring and inspection of outsize (oversized) garments.

In operation the panty hose garment 10 is pulled downwardly over leg forms 11 and 12. The excess stretch of the gannent is worked out by pulling the waist portion of the garment downwardly until feeler 34 is fully depressed. Depression of feeler 34 indicates that the garment is properly positioned for the following measurement and inspection steps:

1. Slide the stride indicator 22 upwardly until it touches the crotch 10a. Read the leg volume length on stride scale 24.

2. Read the overall length of panty hose garment 10 at the bottom of the waist on scale 50. The difference between this reading and the stride indicator scale reading equals the effective panty length.

3. If the garment as a heel (heel illustrated in FIG. 2 as 10b) measure and read the heel position on length scale 50.

4. Measure and read the length of toe 10c and the run guard 10d if present in the garment.

5. Observe the crotch portion of the garment to see if it spans across the space between leg forms 11 and 12 without undue stress, but not so loosely as to be unattractive. Check adequacy of seams.

6. Observe the two legs to insure that they are of equal length and inspect the crotch seam (crotch insert) to see that it is evenly disposed between the legs.

7. Observe the location of the graduator section of I the garment to see if it falls between the knee and ankle in the desired position on the leg form.

8. Observe the garment fabric for stitch clarity, rings, streaks, uniformity, and the like.

9. Test the feel of the elastic waistband when pulling it over another panty portion. If it feels too tight or too loose, hand-stretch it on a bench scale to see if it is within tolerance.

10. If the garment to be tested is an oversized garment, attach the outside boosters 11b and 12b to their corresponding leg forms and proceed as above.

If any part of the garment is outside acceptable tolerances, the correction required should be marked on the garment, and the garment returned to appropriate personnel for effecting corrective action. As with any quality control technique, a suitable statistical sampling should be checked and averaged for corrections.

As noted above there is no "standard model against which the garment can be sized. Accordingly it is necessary that a series of leg fonns of the type described above be prepared to cover the various possible size ranges. These leg forms can then be proportioned to simulate statistically selected shapes. Sets of these leg forms can then be made up and distributed to the various departments in a hosiery plant and to the various plants within a company in order to achieve uniformity of sizing.

The advantages of this invention are apparent when one considers the difficulties encountered in working with live models. In the first place the models are not always available when needed; they are expensive, not uniform, subjective in their determination and subject to employment turnover. Furthermore color and texture of the garment enter into the models judgment, and exact proportions for desired break-off points are extremely hard to recruit.

In contrast the device described above can be easily standardized and duplicates distributed as necessary for uniformity among various departments and plants. The dimensions may be taken from actual measurements of models that are representative of the ranges to be fitted.

While the above description has been directed toward measuring and inspecting panty hose, it should be understood that the device can also be utilized equally as well for stockings. The single stocking can simply be drawn over the left leg form 11 and the necessary measurement taken on that form. Of course in measuring stockings, the leg form with the feeler/pulley assembly should be used, and the crotch measurements are omitted.

lt will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications to the above devices and procedures can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. Accordingly, while there has been described above what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. It is intended that all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention be covered.

What is claimed is:

1. Panty hose garment measuring means comprising:

a. a pair of leg forms, each being adapted to snugly receive the garment being measured as such garment is drawn downwardly over such forms;

b. means for fixedly supporting said leg forms above a base in predetermined spaced and paired relationship;

c. means for sensing a standard measuring position for the garment on such forms comprising feeler means movably mounted on one of said forms so as to be retractable from a position beyond the edge of said form to a position even with such edge, and biasing means acting on said feeler means to extend said feeler means beyond the edge of the form until the garment being measured has been pulled onto the forms to said standard measuring position, said feeler means being even with the edge of the leg form and said biasing means being in equilibrium with the force exerted opposite thereto by the fabric of the garment when such garment is at the stan-' dard measuring position on such leg forms; and

d. length scale on one of said leg forms for measuring the position of various portions of said garment when said garment is in said preselected position on such leg forms; and

e. crotch measuring means comprising an indicator,

means movably mounting said indicator to permit contact of the indicator with the crotch of the garment being measured when such garment is in the standard measuring position on the leg forms, and scale means associated with the indicator to measure the position of the indicator relative to a selected datum when such indicator means is in contact with the crotch of the garment.

2. Panty hose garment measuring means as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said leg form comprises a first flat board which is symmetrically shaped about its longitudinal axis extending between points corresponding to the toe and the welt of the hosiery being measured.

3. Panty hose garment measuring means as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said board is stepped laterally to the longitudinal axis in successively larger widths from the toe to the welt to correspond to similar width graduation in the hosiery being measured. 

1. Panty hose garment measuring means comprising: a. a pair of leg forms, each being adapted to snugly receive the garment being measured as such garment is drawn downwardly over such forms; b. means for fixedly supporting said leg forms above a base in predetermined spaced and paired relationship; c. means for sensing a standard measuring position for the garment on such forms comprising feeler means movably mounted on one of said forms so as to be retractable from a position beyond the edge of said form to a position even with such edge, and biasing means acting on said feeler means to extend said feeler means beyond the edge of the form until the garment being measured has been pulled onto the forms to said standard measuring position, said feeler means being even with the edge of the leg form and said biasing means being in equilibrium with the force exerted opposite thereto by the fabric of the garment when such garment is at the standard measuring position on such leg forms; and d. length scale on one of said leg forms for measuring the position of various portions of said garment when said garment is in said preselected position on such leg forms; and e. crotch measuring means comprising an indicator, means movably mounting said indicator to permit contact of the indicator with the crotch of the garment being measured when such garment is in the standard measuring position on the leg forms, and scale means associated with the indicator to measure the position of the indicator relative to a selected datum when such indicator means is in contact with the crotch of the garment.
 2. Panty hose garment measuring means as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said leg form comprises a first flat board which is symmetrically shaped about its longitudinal axis extending between points corresponding to the toe and the welt of the hosiery being measured.
 3. Panty hose garment measuring means as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said board is stepped laterally to the longitudinal axis in successively larger widths from the toe to the welt to correspond to similar width graduation in the hosiery being measured. 